A mouthguard is a device worn in the mouth of a wearer and intended to protect the teeth and gums. Typically, mouthguards cover the top teeth and gums and are most often used to prevent injury to areas of the mouth during collisions between athletes in sports such as rugby and hockey. There are various names that may be given to a mouthguard, including gumshield, mouth protector, and mouth piece.
It is important that a mouthguard fits the wearer's mouth adequately such that when worn it is retained in a correct position in the mouth covering the teeth and gums of the wearer. This is especially important during a sporting event, where sudden motions of an athlete may cause a poorly fitting mouthguard to become dislodged from its fitted position. This can increase the risk of the athlete sustaining an injury to the mouth from a collision. Further, a mouthguard that is poorly fitting may have to be frequently put back into position in the wearer's mouth or retained in position by the user using their lower jaw or tongue, both of which could cause inconvenience or injury.
Broadly speaking, mouthguards may be split into three categories: custom mouthguards, self-fit (typically boil and bite) mouthguards and stock mouthguards. Self-fit mouthguards encompass mouthguards that may be fitted to a user's mouth after purchase and through some action by the wearer. Custom mouthguards may be fabricated using measurements or information obtained from the eventual intended wearer by a dental professional. Stock mouthguards encompass mouthguards that are purchased in a preformed shape. Stock mouthguards may be non-customised and/or non-customisable in respect of a wearer's mouth and should therefore fit a user straight “off the shelf”.
Boil and bite mouthguards are typically manufactured from thermoplastic materials allowing a user to immerse the mouthguard in hot water until it becomes soft and pliable. Then the user places it into their mouth and uses their fingers, lips, tongue, cheeks and biting pressure shape the mouthguard to the contours of their mouth to achieve an improved fit.
However, although there can be an improved fit achieved from the boil and bite mouthguards, there are also disadvantages associated with them. The process of customising boil and bite mouthguards can be time consuming and require significant effort. Further, by customising the mouthguard using biting pressure, the walls of the mouthguard may become thin in places, and therefore not provide a suitable level of protection to parts of the teeth and gums.
Another type of customised mouthguard widely available is a custom mouthguard. Custom mouthguards can be produced using an impression of the prospective wearer's teeth and gums typically prepared by a dentist or other dental professional. The custom mouthguard is fabricated onto a plaster model made from the impression of the wearer's teeth and gums so that, when it is finished, it fits accurately into the wearer's mouth and is retained in the correct position.
Although custom mouthguards can provide an improved fit within the user's mouth, they require a wearer to obtain an impression of their teeth and then to pay a specialist to fabricate the mouthguard. This process can take up to several weeks. Obtaining a custom mouthguard can also be costly.
Stock mouthguards (also known as ready-made or non-customised mouthguards) are typically manufactured in a preformed shape and are often available to buy in different sizes directly “off the shelf”. Stock mouthguards are typically cheaper than customisable mouthguards and are configured to be immediately usable upon purchase. Although stock mouthguards do not have the disadvantages associated with boil and bite and custom mouthguards outlined above, it is likely that they will not fit the wearer's mouth accurately and may not be retained in the correct position.